Thursday, December 24, 2009

We had such a fun Spanish winetasting at the Greene's the other night - wish you were there:) The Romesco sauce was a big hit, and I promised to post the recipe to my blog. If you are not familiar with Romesco sauce, it is Spain's answer to Italy's red sauce. Delicious as a dip with seafood, pork, tenderloin or chicken, it can also play a starring role topping pasta. Whip up a batch for the holidays and watch it disappear!

Step One On a baking sheet, toast the almonds in a 350F oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Step Two Cube the bread, and place in a bowl with the vinegar for 30 minutes.

Step Three In a food processor, grind the almonds, add the vinegar and bread, the peppers, tomato paste, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil as desired. (You can also just drizzle a little oil over the finished Romesco.) Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

A fun gathering of Google folks and I spent an afternoon last week creating and eating delicious holiday treats. Here's a sampling of the finished products...and the proud creators! And of course, the recipes the fun food stylists used is right here, too. (Check out the next post for even more great pix!)

Step TwoIn a large bowl, whisk the 3 eggs. Add the pumpkin, oil and water. Whisk until smooth. Add the flours, sugars, salt, baking soda and spices. Mix well. Stir in the nuts

Step Three. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin comes clean. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely. Serve with the Brandied Apricot Butter.

Step OneCombine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend until almost smooth. Add all three cheeses and 1 TB of the olive oil. Process well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step TwoPreheat the oven to 375F. Arrange the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with 1 TB of the olive oil and cook until golden – about 15 minutes.

Step ThreeTo serve, Place one end of the toasted spear in the dip and garnish with minced cilantro.

Step One Prepare your spices, by measuring them, and placing in a bowl.

Step Two Place the next 5 ingredients in your food processor or blender. Add the spices, sugar and coconut milk. Process until it becomes a paste. Place the shrimp in the spice paste and set aside for an hour.

Step Three Remove the shrimp from spice paste, and thread onto skewers.

Step Four Preheat the grill or a grill pan on high heat. Brush grate or pan with oil, and arrange skewers on hot grate. Cook, turning once until grill marks are seen, and shrimp is done – about 2-3 minutes.

(When using vegetables with lots of liquid, like tomatoes, cucumbers or squash, chop the veggies and place them in a colander over a bowl. Salt lightly and let drain for at least 30 minutes before using them. Your finished dish will not turn out watery.)

FAST FOOD FACTS: GaramMasala.The meaning in Hindi is “Hot” but don’t let the definition scare you away from this flavorful spice blend. It’s typically made with cinnamon, roasted cumin, cloves and black peppers. But, you don’t have to make it - just grab a bottle from the grocery and enjoy experimenting!

Step OnePreheat the oven to 400F. Hollow out the potatoes with a melon baller, making little boats, and toss in a bowl w/ a small amount of olive oil and kosher salt.

Step TwoPlace on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until golden.

Step ThreeRemove from the baking sheet. Set aside until cooled before filling them. With a small spoon, place a dollop of crèmefraiche in each potato and then garnish with chives. Top with a tiny bit of caviar and serve!

Cut the stems and remove the seeds from the cherry peppers. Toss the peppers with the vinaigrette and set aside for an hour, or up to overnight. If desired, wrap the cheese in a slice of Prosciutto and stuff inside the pepper OR just place the cheese in the pepper.

Friday, December 4, 2009

It was rainy and cold outside Wednesday - but warm and cozy inside. The delicious smell of sweet cookies wafted down the hall. Twenty of us of were baking, tasting and laughing as we shared stories and fun. There's nothing better than a cookie swap! So round up a group this holiday season and you'll be engaging an activity with a double payoff: baking with friends AND eating the luscious cookies for days to come. Here's some "eating better" quick, simple and yummy cookie recipes to get you started:

Step OneWhisk the flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.

Step TwoBeat the butter and sugar until light – with a mixer on medium speed. (About 3 minutes.) Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the coconut and mix well.

Step ThreeWith the mixer on low, add the flour mixture until just combined. Add the almonds. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The dough is very sticky – this will allow you to work with it.)

Step FourPreheat the oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the frig and divide it into 2 long loafs. Bake until the tops are golden brown.

Step FiveReduce the heat to 325F. Remove the loaves and cool about 20 minutes on a rack. Cut each loaf with a sharp serrated knife. Place the pieces on the parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and place on rack to cool.

* To toast coconut flakes: Pre-heat your oven to 325F. Lay the coconut flakes on a baking sheet, in a single layer. Place the baking sheet into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, checking periodically, in order to achieve the level of toast desired.

**To toast nuts: Set your timer for 8 minutes and place the nuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350 – 400F or until lightly browned and fragrant. If nuts are not done at 8 minutes, set your timer for 2 more minutes and remove at 10 minutes. (The softer the nuts, the less time needed for toasting.)

Step SixStir the coffee mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle with the toffee chips. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove them from the pan to a wire rack. Cool completely

Step TwoUsing about 1 teaspoon of the mixture, form small balls. Roll each ball in cocoa powder to coat generously. Store in tightly covered containers.

Best if aged for about a week before serving. Before serving, roll again in powdered sugar.

**To toast nuts: Set your timer for 8 minutes and place the nuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350 – 400F or until lightly browned and fragrant. If nuts are not done at 8 minutes, set your timer for 2 more minutes and remove at 10 minutes. (The softer the nuts, the less time needed for toasting.)

FAST FOOD FACTS:Cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor is pressed to remove most of its cocoa butter. The remaining cocoa solids are processed to make fine unsweetened cocoa powder. There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder: Natural and Dutch-Processed.

Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that causes the batter to rise when placed in the oven.

Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used.

Step ThreeMake a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in the applesauce mixture. Mix well and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Step FourPut the Raw Sugar in a pie pan. Remove the dough from the frig, and rolling with floured hands, roll a ball and then roll in sugar to coat. (Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for about 12 – 15 minutes or until just golden. Cool briefly and then place on racks to cool completely.

**To toast nuts: Set your timer for 8 minutes and place the nuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350 – 400F or until lightly browned and fragrant. If nuts are not done at 8 minutes, set your timer for 2 more minutes and remove at 10 minutes. (The softer the nuts, the less time needed for toasting.)

Step OnePlace the cereal, dates and pecans in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Add the honey, cream cheese, orange or lime juice, orange or lime zest and pulse until a stiff dough is formed.

Step TwoWith a tablespoon, shape the dough into small balls, rolling each one in either the chopped nuts, (for orange jingle balls), or the toasted coconut (for lime jingle balls). (Spraying your hands with a little Pam or wiping a little oil on them will help this process.) Place on a parchment lined place and let rest for 30 minutes before serving or storing.

* To toast coconut flakes: Pre-heat your oven to 325F. Lay the coconut flakes on baking sheet, in a single layer. Place the baking sheet into the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, checking periodically, in order to achieve the level of toast desired.

**To toast nuts: Set your timer for 8 minutes and place the nuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350 – 400F or until lightly browned and fragrant. If nuts are not done at 8 minutes, set your timer for 2 more minutes and remove at 10 minutes. (The softer the nuts, the less time needed for toasting.)